Medical Education
2018
Arts in Health workshops - Thinking outside the box for health and healthcare
KUMEC (Kings Undergraduate Medical Education in the Community), Kings Medical School, London. MBBS2 KCL Medical Students
The aim is to engage students with learning that is important to their future roles as doctors that is beyond the scope of traditional medical education. To enable competent, patient-centred, safe, respectful, resourceful and resilient doctors who are capable of critical thinking, managing uncertainty, responding to pain and suffering, acting with cultural competence, promoting health and advocating for (and leading) change.
Showcase of student artwork – Inigo Rooms, Somerset House, London
'The time spent discussing how best to engage with patients and reflecting on their responses has furthered my belief that medicine as a discipline goes beyond the complexity of the systems of the body. People are much more than their illnesses; health does not occur in isolation. Socioeconomic status, level of education, and perception of one’s place in society contribute significantly to a person’s health and well-being.' Medical student
'This task drew me back into the crux of medicine. Overall, our project raised awareness of not only the inspiring resilience and creativity of patients, but also the complex feelings patients can have.' Medical student
2017
An exploration of photography and creativity workshops as a mechanism for improving reflective practice and resilience building in student healthcare practitioners
In collaboration with: Alison Smith, Field Lead Mental Health, Teaching Fellow
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Surrey University
The project sought to establish if engagement with multi-disciplinary photography workshops can improve and help healthcare students develop better personal resilience. There are many challenges in working in health care settings for students and newly qualified staff, and in order for professionals to provide the best possible care it is essential that the physical and emotional health needs of the student be maintained (Lankshear & Jones 2016, Lutzen & Ewalds Kvist 2013).
2016
Developing empathy and resilience in medical students through the creation of visual art
In collaboration with: Dr Stephanie Strachan - Critical Care Consultant and Katharine Stambollouian - 4th Yr Medical Student (now graduated)
GKT School of Medical Education, Kings College, London
Through a collaborative visual arts-based approach that is new to medical education, the aims of this project were: to enable medical students to recognise how they themselves feel in, or react to, situations and to consider how their patients may feel, so that they see patients both holistically and as people; to allow for reflection and development of emotional skills to help deal with the stresses of medical practice; to develop insight and consideration of the emotional impact of healthcare (for students themselves and patients); to avoid degradation of, and enhance flexible empathy; and act as a tool for building resilience.
Showcase of student artwork – Inigo Rooms, Somerset House, London
Comments:
The small group size allowed students a safe space to reflect honestly on how they felt when involved in a patient encounter which they hadn’t deemed significant.
Upon reflection, students said that they believed it was good for their mental health, and appreciated that the programme offered a much more flexible and supportive space to work together rather than in competition.
The project team concluded that a programme of this nature could fill a vital gap in the curriculum with respect to building resilient and empathic doctors.